Cranks Creek WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Cranks Creek WMA is 2,155 acres of public hunting land in Harlan County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 23 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 19 antlered bucks among them. KDFWR's 2026-27 rule for the area: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: KDFWR's page for the area. Harvest: KDFWR Telecheck reports, 2016-17 to 2025-26.
Cranks Creek WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,155 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Harlan County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 23 (19 antlered bucks, 3 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 2 |
| Elevation | Minimum 1424 feet, maximum 2948 feet |
| Contact | (606)-654-2533 |
| Nearest towns | Evarts (7 mi), Harlan (9 mi) and Loyall (10 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Cranks Creek WMA?
KDFWR lists these rules for the area. Where it says the area is open under statewide seasons, the county's zone rules apply.
Fall Hunting Season
- Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
Source: KDFWR's page for Cranks Creek WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Cranks Creek WMA?
Hunters telechecked 23 deer on Cranks Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 19 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 3 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 22 deer a season, from 18 in 2022-23 to 30 in 2024-25.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 23 | 19 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 30 | 24 | 6 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2020-21 | 20 | 13 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2017-18 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2016-17 | 22 | 16 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Source: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land. Antlered bucks are KDFWR's count of males with visible antlers; the rest of the males are button bucks.
Spring turkey telechecked on the area: 4 in 2025, 3 in 2024, 4 in 2023 and 10 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 1 in 2022-23 (1 bull, 0 cows). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Cranks Creek WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 98.84% forest and 0.97% open land. Elevation runs from 1424 feet to 2948 feet.
Which county is Cranks Creek WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan County | 2,147 | 4 | 509 | 104th |
Acres measured by FilledTag on KDFWR public hunting area boundaries and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. County harvest: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by county. Zones: KDFWR current deer zones.
How do you get to Cranks Creek WMA?
15 miles southeast of Harlan on Stone Mountain Road. (off US 421). No roads within area. Mountainous, extremely steep terrain with long, deep hollows, heavily forested, primarily in hardwoods. No camping. Fishing in is allowed at the lake known both as Cranks Creek Lake and Herb Smith Lake; rental boats available at Stone Mountain boat dock. Trout are stocked in Cranks Creek Lake, refer to the fishing guide for regulations. Picnicking at adjoining Stone Mountain, a scenic gorge area. Owned by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 1138. Nearest towns: Evarts (7 miles), Harlan (9 miles), Loyall (10 miles) and Cumberland (18 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Stone Mountain WMA and State Natural Area (next to it), Martins Fork Lake WMA (1.2 miles), Asher Hunting Access Area (5.2 miles) and Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area (8.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Cranks Creek WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Cranks Creek WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Cranks Creek WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 23 deer on Cranks Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 19 antlered bucks and 3 does. The most taken with firearms (16).
What county is Cranks Creek WMA in?
All of it is in Harlan County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Cranks Creek WMA in?
Harlan County is in Zone 4. Up to two deer, only one of which can be antlerless. Antlerless deer cannot be taken during the modern gun season, the early muzzleloader season or the first six days of the late muzzleloader season. Area rules can be stricter than the zone's, as listed above.
Are elk taken on Cranks Creek WMA?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 1 elk in 2022-23 on the area. Elk hunting is by quota permit; see Kentucky elk hunting.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Cranks Creek WMA.
- Deer, elk and turkey harvest on the area: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land. County harvest: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by county.
- Boundary: KDFWR public hunting area boundaries. Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. National forest and refuges: U.S. Forest Service national forest ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. Numbers are copied from KDFWR or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Kentucky hunting All Kentucky WMAs Harlan County deer harvest